The Healing Power of Music
by CeliaEquus
Summary: Fine. Here's your flipping sequel to 'Sore at Heart'. Late at night, Hermione and Severus share a love of music. Will they finally confess their feelings for each other, or will it all end in heartache again? Read 'Sore at Heart' first.


"The Healing Power of Music"

"_Perhaps we should give her some time to work it out," the potions master said. His voice was cold once more, his posture stiff, and he wasn't looking at Hermione. Her heart sank. So she had just imagined it._

"_Thank you, sir," she mumbled. He nodded, still not looking at her, and strode to the doors of the hospital wing._

[From "Sore at Heart", by CeliaEquus – wait, that's me]

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><p><strong>Three years later…<strong>

It was three years to the day since Hermione overcame an illness which, until then, had only ever proved fatal. She had helped Professor Snape – 'Severus' now – create a cure, one so technical that explaining it usually sent the listener into some kind of stupor. All the prestigious medical magazines and potions journals went into a frenzy over it, of course; but to anyone else, they might as well have been speaking Double Mermish.

The attention meant that both were in great demand; but Severus was reluctant to move from his only real home and Hermione wished to help in the only way that she could.

So, for the past two and half years she had been teaching Arithmancy, at first because no one else was available on a regular basis, and then because she was comfortable there, and even enjoyed teaching. She had yet to decide if being in close proximity to Severus Snape was a balm for her wounded soul, or if she was just torturing herself further.

In the time that she helped him develop the cure she had discovered that they shared several interests. After the potion was finished, however, he sent her away, and she never got to discuss their love of Romantic music.

Not romantic music, mind you: music from the Romantic era. Despite his life-long love of Lily Evans she doubted that he was into romantic songs.

Thinking of music directed her feet towards the music classroom, and as she drew nearer she could hear someone playing the piano. The only students who would have been out of bed at this hour would be the Head Boy and Head Girl, along with the prefects who were patrolling, so it had to be…

"Severus," she whispered, recognising the music of Grieg. It brought a tear to her eye when she recognised 'The Death of Ase' from the Peer Gynt Suite.

Sure enough, when she pushed open the door she saw the potions professor hunched over the piano, sheet music before him and a floating candelabra his only light, aside from a few torches near the doorway.

He reached the final chord, and didn't remove his fingers from the keys until the sound had faded completely. By the time he went to turn the page she was behind him.

"Go away, Professor Granger," he said without looking up.

"You forget that I share your love of music," she said, skimming through the contents.

"I do not _love_ music."

"Could you play this for me, Professor Snape?" she asked, placing the score back on the music stand. "I haven't sung in awhile – other than in the shower – so I miss it. Without my mother to play for me… and I'm not very good at the piano myself…"

"Anything to stop your prattling," he said, hands and feet at the ready. "I hope this is your key, Professor. I do not relish the thought of your squawking off-pitch notes in my ear."

"Of course, sir," she said, feeling like a student again. He sighed and began to play, and she straightened her posture, preparing herself to sing 'Solveig's Song'.

_The winter may pass and the spring disappear, the spring disappear,_

_The summer too will vanish and then the year, and then the year._

_But this I know for certain: thou'lt come back again, thou'lt come back again;_

_And e'en as I promised, thou'lt find me waiting then, thou'lt find me waiting then._

_Ah!_

_God help thee, when wand'ring thy way all alone, thy way all alone,_

_God grant to thee his strength, as thou kneel'st at his throne, thou kneel'st at his throne._

_If thou now art waiting in heav'n for me, in heav'n for me,_

_O there we'll meet again love and never parted be, and never parted be!_

_Ah!_

Severus scowled up at her.

"Is that all, Professor Granger?" he asked. He always said her title mockingly, as though she didn't deserve it. Maybe she didn't; but it had been her choice, so he could deal with it. She shook her head.

"There are some wonderful songs in here," she said. "Could you sing something for me?"

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><p>Perhaps he was too tired to resist, but he started flipping through the book until he reached something by Tchaikovsky. He didn't know what Hermione's game was, but ever since she recovered from the illness she had been looking at him more strangely than she had before. When she was dying he had finally confronted those same feelings which had haunted him after Lily's death.<p>

Lily, who he loved so much, had visited him when he thought that he had perished at Nagini's fangs. She quietly absolved him, but help had arrived before he could speak with her further. It was the know-it-all, saving his life after the battle was over.

He had hated her already; then she had cut off his one chance to see Lily – to be with Lily – and he could never forgive her for that.

That was what he had told himself, until the day she was struck down, almost permanently. He hadn't been falling in love with her, not on a conscious level, but it sure as hell hit him then.

And then Poppy interrupted before he could tell her.

He wouldn't have Hermione Granger pitying him. Regardless of whether or not she had deduced his feelings, he would tell her to leave him alone in no uncertain terms… even if it was through song. Hopefully, she'd get the hint, and he wouldn't have to embarrass himself by saying the words.

_Nay, though my heart should break, I still would leave you_

_Since now no longer can that heart believe you!_

_Nay, vex it not anew, this heart that beat for you!_

_You, who loved, alas! but love no longer!_

_Nay, though my heart should break, I would not bind you,_

_Since you can cast the love of years behind you!_

_What though mine stay. `Tis well!_

_My love was stronger!_

_Nay, though my heart should break I still must leave you,_

_Since now no longer can that heart receive you._

If he'd looked up after he finished, he would have noticed tears in her eyes. But Hermione blinked them back quickly, picked up the music, and started to flip idly through again.

"I knew that she lied," she said. He cocked his head.

"What was that?" he asked softly.

"Lily," she said. He tensed. "When I was dying, she was there, and she told me something that… c-clearly wasn't true."

"What did she say?" When she didn't answer, he stood and towered above her. "Tell me what she said."

"That's none of your concern, Professor Snape!" she hissed, mindful of the hour. "Just because you're still in love with her doesn't mean that you need to know every little thing _about_ her. Did you ever ask James Potter what she was like in bed, or did you know from personal experience?"

He raised his hand, but stopped himself from hitting her. Even if he hadn't been unable to father children – something Nagini's venom had taken from him – he would never be like his sire. Not towards a woman. But he was still furious, and instead backed her up against the instrument, arms either side and nose inches away from hers.

"You know nothing of my feelings," he said. "_Nothing_. No one can ever feel how I feel about…" He shook his head. "You may be my colleague now, but that gives you no right to ask such questions."

"Then you have no right to ask questions about what clearly happened in my head," she snapped.

He studied her, but persisted.

"What did she say to you?" he whispered.

She couldn't lie to him.

"That you loved me," she said. He stepped back abruptly, staring at her, and she avoided his look by sitting down and turning the pages of the book. Finally, she found something, a song which was relatively simple to play. She could hide her feelings while still confessing.

_I bear no grudge, even if my heart is breaking!_

_Love lost forever! I bear no grudge._

_Although you shine in diamond splendour,_

_No beam falls into the night of your heart._

_I have known that for a long time._

_I bear no grudge, even if my heart is breaking!_

_I truly saw you in my dreams_

_And saw the night in the room of your heart,_

_And saw the snake that bites your heart;_

_I saw, my dear, how truly miserable you are._

_I bear no grudge. I bear no grudge._

Her playing was stilted from lack of practise, and she couldn't sing the descant part towards the end, instead going for the lower notes. Thank Merlin that Schumann had included them.

Before Severus could say anything, she stood and walked towards the door, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity through her tears. Reaching for the door handle, she heard soft music, and froze where she stood. It was another of the pieces in the song cycle.

Her fellow professor began to sing.

_In the lovely month of May,_

_When all the buds were bursting,_

_Then within my heart_

_Love broke forth._

_In the lovely month of May,_

_When all the birds were singing,_

_Then I confessed to her_

_My longing and desire._

She wiped away her tears, wishing that it could be true. She'd given up on the idea of love long ago, especially when it turned out that her near-death experience had robbed her of the ability to have children. Most wizards wanted a witch who could provide them with an heir. It wouldn't have mattered anyway; not when Severus Snape had her heart.

Was he… was he saying that she had his?

"Hermione," he said, turning to look at her. She met his eyes tentatively. "Lily was not a liar in life. I hardly think her capable of being one in death."

Her heart leapt. She walked forward slowly and stood beside him. Only his head had moved, and he continued to look at her, even as she searched the music for one last song.

"C-could you play this one for me, Severus?" she asked. He looked at it and smiled. It had started with Grieg; it would end with Grieg. So he obliged her.

_My thought of thoughts thou art become for ever,_

_My heart's first love, my life's sweet melody._

_No pow'r on earth my soul from thine may sever – _

_I love but thee, I love but thee,_

_I love thee, sweet, to all eternity._

_I love thee, sweet, to all eternity._

_Of thee alone my heart is always dreaming,_

_Mine `tis to toil, rejoice, or weep for thee:_

_To watch the bliss within thy dear eyes beaming,_

_To worship thee, to worship thee,_

_To worship thee to all eternity!_

_To worship thee to all eternity!_

He didn't even let the chord die, but got to his feet and hauled her into his arms. Yet despite this burst of speed, their lips met hesitantly, only deepening the kiss when it became obvious that neither intended to leave for some time… forever.

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><p><strong>There. That's the end. This is for those of you who kept requesting more of 'Sore At Heart'.<strong>

**In my defence, that story was going to be longer, but I nearly always end stories on a happy note, and each time I try to be different I'm yanked back out of it at the behest of my readers. So… here's your sequel. Your punishment for making me do this was to have lots of lieder shoved down your throat. I was kind, and put them in English. The names of the songs and their composers are as follows:**

"**Solvejg's Lied" from the Peer Gynt Suite by Grieg [translation by E. M. Smyth]**

"**Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt" by Tchaikovsky [translation by F. J. Whishaw]**

"**Ich grolle nicht" from Dichterliebe (a song-cycle) by Robert Schumann [translation by Paul Hindemith]**

"**Im wundershönen Monat Mai" from Dichterliebe by Schumann [translation by Philip L. Miller]**

"**Ich liebe dich" by Grieg [translation by C. Laubach]**

**These are all lovely songs, and most of them can be found on Youtube, depending on how hard you look. It's more difficult to find them being sung in English. A bit of trivia: in at least one movie version of **_**Little Women**_**, Professor Bhaer sings "Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt".**

**Disclaimer: the only person left to be credited is J. K. Rowling. Now I've done that. Yay!**


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